Best engine drive?

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In a due time i will be starting a moblie welding service probably as a side business and then have an 8 nto 5 welding job now question is who makes a better engine drive lincoln or miller? i also want one with a wire feeder im avoiding the 1500 pound sae machines also i see some hobart engine drives on cragilist would they be worth considering? which would be better used or new? any input would help
Reply:what do you want it to do? how much work are you going to be doing. an old sa200 will run a voltage sensing wire feed but a trailblazer or ranger might be a better option if its only going to run for a few hours. In my opinion the new miller pipepro350 is one of the best inverter machines made but if your not going to weld with it 40+ hours per week then you probably don't need that or any of the sa200 or 300 lincolns. If you ever have intentions of doing any pipeline work you should bite the bullet and get a good pipe machine because there will be places that will not let you test with a ranger or trailblazer eventhough some of them weld ok
Reply:i thought the same about biting the bullet about buying a pipeliner machine if i did weld 40 plus hours a day but im not sure if i want to do that thanks for the input i think if i did a side business it would be weld repairs on trailers heavy equiptment or on the farm, fences, custom field fab, and i might consider renting my machine out for generator power something along the lines of i show up turn on my machine they use it for power and pay an hourly rate and all i do is sit their and watch this might be the money maker not sure
Reply:I run a TB 301 I bought new, it does all I ask in the heavy equipment/repair welding world. I also have am old SA250 that I run for pipe jobs and when I need an old hoss onsite. My next machine will be a Vantage 500 but that is just because I can, now that I know what I want.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:XXXXXXXX This is not for you! Forget your get rich quick sh!t! Next!I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeXXXXXXXX This is not for you! Forget your get rich quick sh!t! Next!
Reply:Originally Posted by flux core joewas that for me?
Reply:A buddy of mine has a Lincoln 305G, I just got him set up with an LN-25 running Mig. He has been running flux core self shielded wire with an LN-22. Now he is like a little kid in a candy store! Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:For a one man operation i would go with a Vantage 300.   I have vantage 500's mainly for the extra balls to throw down 500' of lead in a pinch and still run an XMT at some distance from the the machine both welding 0.072" NR-232. The problem with the vantage 500 is its a freaking beast.   Honestly its to much welder for my F-450 i wouldnt DREAM of trying to put it on a 1 ton.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:LMAO I have a 17,000 gvw truck and if I fill the fuel tank and get a coffee I am overweight. Just another factor to concider in the world of mobile welding and repair work. No matter how big you think the truck is, you will always need bigger.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749Most of my stuff is just in the sit around & watch category!
Reply:Originally Posted by DualieThe problem with the vantage 500 is its a freaking beast.   Honestly its to much welder for my F-450 i wouldnt DREAM of trying to put it on a 1 ton.
Reply:Fluxy,don't take any of this personal, it's not.  Most these guys work in the field and that can be harsh, which sometimes comes across on the board.  Along with that, you worded your question entirely wrong for a newbie poster.You should've said sometthing like - "I'm such 'n' such, going to school, welding part time (yea, I did my research), and am looking to get into the trade and eventually start my own business.  For doing what I want to do, bla, bla bla, which welder do you fine people recommend?"  See where I'm coming from?But for your info, there is no perfect engine drive.  A ShieldArc, considered The Cadillac, is great for 'lines and maybe structural, while an old WeldnPower 150 would be "perfect" for the guy working with a mini truck and just starting out....Hell, for X, a member here, the "perfect engine driven welder" is a Thermal Arc Scout 140!  Yep, 140 whopping amps at his fingertipsand yea, this was meant for you Last edited by dubl_t; 05-31-2013 at 11:53 PM.Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manYou mean like this? Glad I only do it part time, for now.
Reply:Have you lost your mind Joe?
Reply:Three years ago I would have so chastised for making some of the comments I see in this thread. Joe your innocence might have been cute in high school. But in the real world of men, it don't get you much.  Go get your self the cheapest 220 amp CV/CC machine you can find Miller Lincoln Hobart it don't matter they all run the same 3-4 engines. Then get your self an LN-25. Then post back. We will tell you about the next $5,000.00 you need to spend. Buy all your tools used, and pay about ten cents on the dollar vs. new. Good luck.
Reply:The Brutal Facts:~  "Best" is a subjective term de jour.  Overused and meaningless without context. What's "best" for you may not be "best" to me. Technical, financial, and logistical constraints, coupled to self-experience and gut-feel, will help a human decide what's "best".~ Respect your fellow worker and neighbor.  Learn, Do, Teach. ~ Reaping the rewards for any endeavor requires an "all in" attitude and solid work ethic.  24x7 professionalism, mad skills, superior customer service, and continuous learning.....at the core."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:ManoKai Well said.